As Climate Change has moved to the forefront of research and mitigation and adaptation strategies are well underway, little research is being done to show the disproportionate and unequal impact the climate crisis will have or is having on vulnerable populations such as indigenous communities. Although climate change and its consequences will have an effect on all people, there is information showing that those who are least able to prepare, resist and recover from its impacts will suffer the worst consequences (1).
Indigenous peoples from all regions of the world depend upon the natural environment for sustenance. Their traditional knowledge embodies a cultural and spiritual relationship with the earth that makes them uniquely vulnerable to changes in the environment (2). According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report, indigenous peoples and small island states are the populations most likely to suffer disproportionately from the negative impacts of climate change due to a lower adaptive capacity. The report also projects acceleration and deepening of the impacts and effects of climate change globally with potentially serious implications for the cultures, subsistence economies, health and futures of Indigenous Peoples (3).
San Diego County is home to the highest number of Native American reservations per county in the nation, with 18 federally recognized reservations and an estimated population of about 6,800 total living on tribal reservation land. Indigenous communities have historically been marginalized, with forced relocation from their native lands and diminished or limited access to natural resources upon which they depend on for their livelihood. The majority of San Diego county tribes are non-gaming, with residents that live far below poverty level. Tribal reservations are completely responsible for their own infrastructure and community needs.
Tribal Nations are completely responsible for community planning, operation and infrastructure of their communities. However, many reservations, due to economic challenges, have insufficient access to basic services, which in turn have created environmental health issues and concerns within these already at risk communities. Many tribal communities are also disproportionately impacted by health problems such as asthma, digestive and circulatory problems, and metabolic disorders that could be directly related to exposure to environmental pollutants. Combined with complications from water shortages, heat waves and other climate related impacts, there is potential for devastating impacts. There are several reports that detail the socio-economic disadvantage of remote indigenous communities and peoples. A study by the World Bank completed in 2004 showed that indigenous peoples in Latin America are some of the poorest in the region with worsening situations over the last decade that will surely be aggravated by climate change (4). This will be especially true for those people living in places that are more susceptible to natural disasters and are more remote or isolated. Any change, whether big or small, to the environment could amplify risks in these communities as they are often already living on the cusp of an environmental nightmare.
Since climate change impacts varies from region to region, it is critical that each individual community is able to appropriately and adequately address, adapt and understand the consequences of climate change. For indigenous peoples, not only are their environment and health at risk, but also their culture and existence as a people. In San Diego, Tribal communities are beginning to work on plans to address climate change concerns and determine strategies for both mitigation and adaptation. Indigenous peoples are vital and active parts of many ecosystems and may be able to help to enhance the resilience of these ecosystems, while assisting scientists to interpret and react to climate change impacts in creative ways. The use of traditional knowledge as well as new technologies to find solutions may help the global environment to cope with and possibly mitigate the inevitable changes. Indigenous peoples may offer local observations and new ideas for adapting to and mitigating climate change, however they must be empowered to deal with these changes. Feedback loops between climate change science and indigenous peoples may be a good mechanism for gaining knowledge from the other and to support each other in action.
Books, Articles, Papers
1. Morello-Frosch,R. , Pastor, M., Sadd, J. and Shonkoff, S. (2009). The Climate Gap: Inequalities in How Climate Change Hurts Americans & How to Close the Gap. Retrieved from http://college.usc.edu/geography/ESPE/documents/The_Climate_Gap_Full_Report_FINAL.pdf
2. Macchi, M., Oviedo, G., Gotheil, S. Cross, K., Boedhihartono, A., Wolfangel, C. and Howell, M. (2008). Indigenous and Traditional Peoples and Climate Change. (International Union for Conservation of Nature Issues Paper). Retrieved from http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/indigenous_peoples_climate_change.pdf
3. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2007). Fourth Assessment Report on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr.pdf
4. Hall, G. & Patrinos, A.P. (2004). Indigenous Peoples, Poverty and Human Development in Latin America: 1994-2004. Retrieved on May 16, 2009 from http://wbln0018.worldbank.org/LAC/lacinfoclient.nsf/8d6661f6799ea8a48525673900537f95/3bb82428dd9dbea785257004007c113d/$FILE/IndigPeoplesPoverty_Exec_Summ_en.pdf
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